The philosphical and physical opinions written by Her Excellency the Lady Marchionesse of Newcastle.

About this Item

Title
The philosphical and physical opinions written by Her Excellency the Lady Marchionesse of Newcastle.
Author
Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of, 1624?-1674.
Publication
London :: Printed for J. Martin and J. Allestrye ...,
1655.
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Subject terms
Philosophy -- Early works to 1800.
Science -- Early works to 1800.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A53055.0001.001
Cite this Item
"The philosphical and physical opinions written by Her Excellency the Lady Marchionesse of Newcastle." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A53055.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 13, 2024.

Pages

Chap. 194. Of Epilepses, which is called falling∣sicknesse.

THis disease is caused by a water in the brain, which wa∣ter is most commonly green, like sea water, and hath an ebbing and flowing motion, like the tides thereof, and when the water is at full tide, on the forepart of the head, it takes the diseased after the manner of panting, and short breathing, beating themselves, and foaming at the mouth, neither can they hear, see, smell, nor speak; the reason is, that the flowing mo∣tion driving the watry humour so far out, as it extends the pia

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mater, and dia mater of the brain, farther then the natural ex∣tention; which extention swelling out towards the outward part of the head, hinders all recourse, stopping those passages which should receive the objects, through the exterior senses; and the froth or slimy humor, which is betwixt the skin, where the brain lies; and the skull being pressed out, fals through the throat into the mouth, and there works forth like yeast, which is called foaming; but though the motions of the head are thus altered for a time, so as there is neither sense nor ra∣tional knowledg, yet the body may be after the natural course, and not any wayes altered; but the body feeling life opprest in the head, the several parts or members in the body, strive and struggle with what power and strength they have to re∣lease it: Like as a loyal people that would defend or release their natural and true born King, from being prisoner to a fo∣raign enemy; but when this water flows to the hinder part of the head, the pia mater, and dia mater, extending out that way, stops all the nerves in the nodel of the head, by which stopping, it stops the exterior motions of the whole body, by reason that place is the knitting place of those moving strings; and when the water is flow'd, as I said, to this part, the diseased lies as in a swoon, as if they were quite dead, having no visible motion, but as soon as the water begins to fall back, they begin to recover out of the fits; but as often as the water in the head is at full tides, either of the fore part of the head, or the hin∣der part, the diseased fals into a fit, which is sometimes oftner then other, for it keeps no constant course, time, nor measure;* 1.1 and according as the pia mater and dia mater extends, the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 are stonger or weaker.

Likewise such green water with such motions about the heart, may produce the same disease, for oft times this green water, or green thin humor ascends or runs from several parts of the body, into the cesterns of the head and the heart; and this kinde of water or humor, if it be in the nerves, causeth dangerous convulsions, by reason of the sharpness that shrivels up the nerves; and when it is in the bloud causes the veins to contract, through the same reason, if in the stomach, it causes vomiting, or great fluxes, by subdividing the humors; and the sharpness, prickling or tickling the stomach, provokes a strain∣ing, as tickling in the nose doth sneezing; so the stomach, either to strain upwards or downwards.

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